Welcome to Sugar High, a series devoted solely to spotlighting the best ways to sate a sweet tooth in St. Louis. We’ll sample the best the city has to offer at restaurants, bakeries and holes-in-the-wall, and provide some insight on how these confections are made along the way. “If I lined up each strawberry-mousseline cake […]
Welcome to Sugar High, a series devoted solely to spotlighting the best ways to sate a sweet tooth in St. Louis. We’ll sample the best the city has to offer at restaurants, bakeries and holes-in-the-wall, and provide some insight on how these confections are made along the way.
“If I lined up each strawberry-mousseline cake we’ve made over the years end to end, they’d probably stretch all the way around the world!” says chef-owner Olivier Leguet in a charming French accent. Since 1981, Leguet has crafted this delicate yet decadent dessert in the kitchen at La Bonne Bouchée (12344 Olive Boulevard; 314-576-6606) — French for “the good bite” — and the demand never lets up. With a staff of 40, he creates a brimming pastry case every day in his Parisian patisserie, using at least 800 pounds of strawberries every week to fill and top his trademark cake.
The base is a classic genoise — a sponge cake with melted butter incorporated into the batter — layered with mousse made up of fresh whipped cream and custard cream mixed together and studded with sliced strawberries. A coat of vanilla buttercream and sliced almonds encases it all, but it’s the veritable fruit basket on top that’s most memorable.
Decades ago, the cake originally came with a simple garnish of whipped cream and strawberries. A customer requested an arrangement of fresh fruit on top — “So we kept making them and now we don’t make them fast enough!” says Leguet.
The cake comes in every size imaginable, from individual slices and petite cakes for eight to a full-sheet size big enough to feed 100 mouths. Besides the dreamy strawberry-mousseline dessert, visitors can look forward to temptation from a variety of other treats to choose from including crème brûlée, cheesecake, and 45 flavors of French macarons.
“The desserts we serve are more European — not as sweet, just wonderful and light. We use a lot of fresh fruit and fresh ingredients and not so much sugar,” says Leguet. “We’ve always done it this way and we always will.”
Previously on Sugar High:
– Pie Oh My’s Pumpkin-Maple Pecan Pie
– Annie Moons’ Banana-Split Muffins
– Cyrano’s Carrot Cake
– Whitebox Eatery’s Cheese Pastry
– Comet Coffee’s Mousse Cakes
– Whisk’s Apple-Cinnamon “Pop Tartlets”
– The London Tea Room’s Blueberry-Lemon Cake
– Corner 17’s Fluffy Ice
– The Fountain on Locust’s “Banana Bourbon” Sundae
– Vinnie’s Pinwheel Baklava
– Red Fox Baking & Catering’s Lemon Tart
– Sugarfire Smokehouse’s Crack Pie
– Russell on Macklind’s Coconut Cake
– The Kitchen Sink’s Sweet Potato Fries
– Giovanni’s Kitchen’s Panna Cotta Trio
– Crepes Etc.’s Crepe Cake
– Cafe Ventana’s Beignets
– Frida’s Raspberry-Chocolate Avocado Mousse
– India Palace’s Gulab Jamun
– Melt’s “Violet Beauregarde” Waffle
– Brevan’s Patisserie’s “Brendan”
– Winslow’s Home’s Chocolate Cake with Espresso Meringue
– La Patisserie Chouquette’s Eclair
– Black Bear Bakery’s Raspberry Oat Bar
– Gelateria’s London Fog Gelato
– 4 Seasons Bakery’s German Cheesecake
– Libertine’s “Candy Bar”
– Cleveland-Heath’s Old Fashioned Cherry Pie
– Schlafly Tap Room and Bottleworks’ Sticky Toffee Pudding
We’re always looking for some sweet ideas. E-mail the author at [email protected].
